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Bush 9/11-Themed Election Ads

Wonkette writes today about the storm brewing over the new Bush/Cheney campaign ads, specifically one featuring 9/11 imagery. I heard about this on the way to work early this morning on Imus, and I have to say I’m on one hand not surprised, and on the other hand – really disappointed.

To be honest, what did Bush do in New York that day, the next day, that really made a difference? Fine, he showed up. Whatever. What did he do that any sitting President wouldn’t have done? This is just using an event that happened to take place while you were President and adding to your pile of topics to talk about. If you’re going to play compassionate, then I don’t want to see *one* attack ad at Kerry. If you’re going to play that it’s all you, and focus on what *you* did, then that’s all I want to hear about. If this is going to be how it’s gonna be, then don’t be surprised, Bush Campaign, about the ad that comes out that shows you and a clock in a splitscreen, with you in the kindergarten class, along with some wisecracking Dennis Hopper from Speed voice in the background saying “What do you do, whaddayou do!” repeatedly.

I think this is a blatant misuse of an event for political gain. You’re free to disagree, but don’t try and pull on heartstrings of Americans and think that they’re too stupid to notice. It’s not just the victims of the event, people whose family members died that are in a ruckus about this – it’ll be a broader spectrum of people.

To clarify, I don’t have such a problem with him referring to the event in a speech, saying in a commercial that his goal is to never have a 9/11 again, or something like that. But don’t pull this.